Kindred’s Duchscherer emerges as Alabama’s home run leader

The former Miss Basketball has had a breakthrough season in the Southeastern Conference

FARGO — Abby Duchscherer is soaking in every moment of this Alabama softball season.

The Kindred native has become one of the best players on the nationally ranked Crimson Tide, as they play in this weekend’s NCAA Super Regionals; the softball equivalent of the Sweet 16. The winners of these series make the College World Series.

“I knew what I was signing up for and I love every second of it. I love the grind of it. I think when you’re at this high of a level, if you don’t love it, it’s going to be pretty miserable for you.” Duchscherer said ahead of this weekend’s series.

Duchscherer began the season on a tear, with eight hits in a three-game stretch over the season opening weekend. She followed that with power, slugging her first collegiate home run Longwood, and then home runs followed against Florida State and Arizona, each ranked teams. She attributes her success at the plate to the offseason work she did in Fargo at the Ballyard.

“Going into 2024 I just made it known in the winter that I was going to work super hard. I’m really grateful to Mike, because allowed me to use all of his tools. I had a lot of resources from my hitting coaches. I just really took it this winter, because I wanted to be a new person this sophomore year.”That’s been evident for Duchscherer. Heading into the best of three series with Tennessee, she is tied for the team lead in home runs with six and leads the team in runs batted in at 30, all the while starting 46 of Alabama’s 49 games.

“It’s a lot of unseen hours that are put into those results at the plate. But along with that, is your mental state of competence. Gaining the confidence to know that I can do what I put my mind to, it doesn’t matter who’s pitching my swing is better than their best pitch.”

Duchscherer says it was a full-circle moment in February when both her and fellow North Dakotan and Alabama athlete Grant Nelson shared the headlines one night.

Duchscherer had a huge game at the plate, while Nelson scored over 20 points in a Crimson Tide win.